It's quite different this time. No mother to call and greet Merry Christmas.
At first I could not explain why I am not as excited as the previous Christmases; then it dawned on me - my Mother is not around anymore, and I feel disoriented.
The feeling, I guess, is shared by my siblings. This is the first Christmas without our Mother
If she were around, she would have the Christmas lights and lantern and Tree all mesmerizingly dressed up. The curtains will be fresh, and she would be waiting by the telephone to receive overseas calls from her three children who reside outside the Philippines.
And for her children who are in the country, she would be sharing with them food and gifts during the family's traditional New Year's Day celebration.
It's not the end of Christmas for me now that my Mom is no longer around. But at the rate that Christmas has been diluted by so called "political correctness" and cannibalized by commercialism, I am afraid that with each passing year, my Christmas will lose its luster and joy, bit by bit.
The Christmas decors that line up Ayala Avenue, Bagong Ilog at Pasig and the entire breadth of the Meralco complex are not enough to perk up the spirit I used to feel when I was a child.
It's here now, there tomorrow. It's that special niche where the heart feels most at peace. It could be anywhere.
Have a blessed Christmas!
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